History of Functional Assessment of Penile Erection

Many techniques, both invasive and noninvasive, have been described in sexual medicine history to assess penile erection in the context of erectile dysfunction (ED). It is possible to affirm that there has been an overall decrease in popularity of these instruments over time, as ED treatment strategies became mostly goal-oriented rather than cause-oriented. However, further specialized diagnostic testing for ED may still be required according to clinical presentation and patient’s interest, particularly after failure of initial therapy. In this chapter, a comprehensive overview of historical tools for the assessment of penile erection is provided, including validated questionnaires, hormonal tests, nocturnal penile tumescence tests, plethysmography, angiography, dynamic infusion cavernosography associated to cavernosometry, in-office intracavernous injection test, and penile Doppler ultrasound.